A Plea for Mercy

Have you ever asked God to have justice be done in a situation? I have. There is a  difficult and important matter affecting many people I love right now, and there is so much going on within the dynamics of this situation that make it complicated for everyone involved.

In my prayer to the Lord, I asked Him to let His justice be done, both in this situation and in the entire world. This world is in desperate need of righteous judgement and justice. A simple look at the “justice” system here in the U.S. can make you cringe if you’ve had any personal experience in dealing with it.

But, you know what? If true justice were done, we’d all be in big trouble. If we all got what we have coming to us for the sins we have committed, we’d all be facing the death penalty. So, instead of justice, I’m praying for mercy.

No one knows the hearts of mankind like God. No one knows the struggles, the pain, the past and current experiences that affect how we deal with things. He does. He knows our frame, and He lived it. He did not sin, of course. But, I think sometimes we forget that Jesus was a man. He felt pain. He saw those he loved suffer. He felt temptation and endured the just consequence for the sins we committed, while he remained spotless. He tasted death so that we can live.

This is a God of mercy and love. And we all need His mercy and His love. The mercy I want is freedom from my sins so that I do not hurt Him or others anymore. The mercy I want is forgiveness, so that I can continue seeking Him even when I fail.

The mercy I want is to see His kingdom come to this earth and establish a righteous justice system in which the meek, humble, and righteous are protected and the wicked are shown the errors of their ways and given knowledge of the Lord so they can be freed too.

If we want His mercy and His love, we should all strive to show mercy  and love towards others. Because you know what, those that hurt us the most are often those who need Jesus the most, as do we — and without Him, we are all hopelessly condemned.